Emacs: Keyboard Macro Commands

By Xah Lee. Date: . Last updated: .

Here's a list of all Keyboard Macro commands.

Record

kmacro-start-macro 【Ctrl+x (】 【C-x C-k s】, 【C-x C-k C-s】

start record.

  • (It relies on the primitive function start-kbd-macro)
  • defining-kbd-macro is an alias of start-kbd-macro.
kmacro-end-macro 【Ctrl+x )】

end record. (It relies on the primitive function end-kbd-macro)

Call

call-last-kbd-macro

call the last keyboard macro.

apply-macro-to-region-lines

apply last last keyboard macro to each line in text selection.

💡 TIP: to make this useful, you should create a macro that start at beginning of line, and do not move to next line.

kmacro-end-call-mouse 【S-<mouse-3>】

Move point to the position clicked with the mouse and call last kbd macro

kmacro-call-macro

Call the keyboard MACRO that you defined with kmacro-start-macro

kmacro-end-or-call-macro 【F4】

End kbd macro if currently being defined; else call last kbd macro

kmacro-end-or-call-macro-repeat 【C-x C-k C-k】

As kmacro-end-or-call-macro but allow repeat without repeating prefix

kmacro-end-and-call-macro 【Ctrl+x e】

call the last keyboard macro. (stop it if still recording)

Store

kmacro-name-last-macro 【C-x C-k n】

Assign a name to the last keyboard macro defined. (name-last-kbd-macro is an alias.)

insert-kbd-macro

Insert in buffer the definition of kbd macro MACRONAME, as Lisp code.

kmacro-to-register 【C-x C-k x】

Store the last keyboard macro in register. [see Emacs: Copy to Register] Call it by calling jump-to-register

kmacro-bind-to-key 【C-x C-k b】

When not defining or executing a macro, offer to bind last macro to a key

Edit

edit-kbd-macro 【C-x C-k e】

Edit a keyboard macro.

edit-last-kbd-macro

Edit the most recently defined keyboard macro.

edit-named-kbd-macro

Edit a keyboard macro which has been given a name by name-last-kbd-macro.

kmacro-edit-lossage 【C-x C-k l】

Edit most recent 300 keystrokes as a keyboard macro

kmacro-edit-macro 【C-x C-k RET】

As edit last keyboard macro, but without kmacro-repeat property

kmacro-edit-macro-repeat 【C-x C-k C-e】

Edit last keyboard macro

kmacro-step-edit-macro 【C-x C-k SPC】

Step edit and execute last keyboard macro

Counter

kmacro-add-counter 【C-x C-k C-a】

Add the value of numeric prefix arg (prompt if missing) to kmacro-counter

kmacro-insert-counter 【C-x C-k TAB】

Insert current value of kmacro-counter, then increment it by ARG

kmacro-set-counter 【C-x C-k C-c】

Set the value of kmacro-counter to ARG, or prompt for value if no argument

kmacro-set-format 【C-x C-k C-f】

Set the format of kmacro-counter to FORMAT

kmacro-start-macro-or-insert-counter 【F3】

Record subsequent keyboard input, defining a keyboard macro

View

kmacro-view-macro

Display the last keyboard macro

kmacro-view-macro-repeat 【C-x C-k C-v】

Display the last keyboard macro

kmacro-view-ring-2nd

Display the second macro in the keyboard macro ring

Other

kbd-macro-query 【C-x C-k q】, 【C-x q】

Query user during kbd macro execution.

read-kbd-macro

Read the region as a keyboard macro definition.

kmacro-call-ring-2nd

Execute second keyboard macro in macro ring

kmacro-call-ring-2nd-repeat 【C-x C-k C-l】

Execute second keyboard macro in macro ring

kmacro-cycle-ring-next 【C-x C-k C-n】

Move to next keyboard macro in keyboard macro ring

kmacro-cycle-ring-previous 【C-x C-k C-p】

Move to previous keyboard macro in keyboard macro ring

kmacro-delete-ring-head 【C-x C-k C-d】

Delete current macro from keyboard macro ring

kmacro-swap-ring 【C-x C-k C-t】

Swap first two elements on keyboard macro ring

Emacs Keyboard Macro